1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device used to control and feed a fluid, and more particularly to a multi-layer diaphragm used in a fluid device (a fluid apparatus) such as a diaphragm pump or a control valve in which a fluid is fed in response to deformation of a diaphragm.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various liquid feed pumps have been proposed for use in high performance liquid chromatography. Examples of proposed methods for driving the liquid feed pump include a plunger method (Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-292011), a piezoelectric method in which a diaphragm is driven by a piezoelectric element (Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-118397), and so on. The piezoelectric method of driving the diaphragm is advantaged in that a sliding part such as that employed in the plunger method is absent, and therefore particle generation does not occur, meaning that a liquid feed pump having a long life can be provided. A multi-layer diaphragm having a fault detection layer for detecting a fault in the diaphragm has been proposed for use with the piezoelectric method of driving the diaphragm (Japanese Translation of PCT Application No. 2007-515584 and Japanese Translation of PCT Application No. H06-506998). Meanwhile, in recent years it has become necessary in high performance liquid chromatography to perform control at a high pressure and a very small flow rate during analysis.